Week 33: Bhagavad Gītā 2.47

This week is designed as a 60-minute self-study lesson. Read aloud first, then translate.

Aim of the Week

Read Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 word by word, with attention to locative forms, negation, and compound meaning.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana |
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi ||

Word	Meaning
कर्मणि	in action
एव	only, indeed
अधिकारः	claim, authority, entitlement
ते	your
मा	do not
फलेषु	in the results/fruits
कदाचन	at any time
कर्मफलहेतुः	cause/motive of the fruit of action
भूः	be
सङ्गः	attachment
अकर्मणि	in inaction

Verse Analysis Practice

कर्मण्येव अधिकारः ते।
karmaṇy eva adhikāraḥ te.
मा फलेषु कदाचन।
mā phaleṣu kadācana.
मा कर्मफलहेतुः भूः।
mā karma-phala-hetuḥ bhūḥ.
मा ते सङ्गः अस्तु अकर्मणि।
mā te saṅgaḥ astu akarmaṇi.

Answer key

Your claim is only in action.
Never in the results.
Do not be motivated by the fruit of action.
Let there not be attachment for you to inaction.

Recitation Guidance

Pause at the daṇḍa. Keep karmaṇy evādhikāras flowing as one sandhi sequence, then split it mentally for translation.

Vocabulary

Devanāgarī	IAST	Meaning
कर्मणि	karmaṇi	in action
फलेषु	phaleṣu	in fruits/results
कदाचन	kadācana	at any time
सङ्गः	saṅgaḥ	attachment
अकर्मणि	akarmaṇi	in inaction